The Snap: Johnson is prepared to make jump to pros

George Johnson used to be known as a basketball player who played football, at least when he entered the University of Western Ontario.

No longer. The rookie slotback turned heads throughout Alouettes training camp at Bishop’s University, especially during one-on-one drills when he normally would breeze past defenders who couldn’t keep up with the 6-foot-3, 188 pounder.

Now attending his second camp with the Als, the 2016 draft choice is making a serious argument stating he should not be among the team’s final cuts.

“George Johnson has shown a lot of good things,” head coach Jacques Chapdelaine said earlier this week.

And that’s all that needed to be said.

Johnson was selected in the fourth round (29th overall) a year ago. Predictably, with university eligibility remaining, he returned to the Mustangs, completing his career with 116 receptions for 1,848 yards, while scoring eight touchdowns.

When he decided to go to Western, located in London, Ont., Greg Marshall, a one-time head coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, proclaimed Johnson might be the best incoming wide-receiver in the province of Ontario. Marshall, the Mustangs’ head coach, called him a natural athlete.

Indeed, Johnson played as a true freshman, a rare feat.

“As (Marshall) started to develop me, I saw what he saw in me. Not a lot did,” Johnson, 23, said this week before the Als broke camp in Lennoxville. “The man’s the best. I would follow him to the end of the earth.”

Johnson’s story is more incredible considering he was a two-sport athlete in university. He was a shooting guard and point guard with the basketball team. Both head coaches — Marshall and Brad Campbell — worked closely together and required an understanding considering football was more time consuming, while basketball got Johnson for basically half the schedule.

Oh yeah, Johnson also majored in psychology and criminology, a double major.

Obviously, the kid’s disciplined and spent plenty of time in the library.

“It helped knowing I was busy. If I slacked off I wouldn’t get things done,” he said. “My first three years were spent in the library. Everyone knew where I was. I sat in the same spot every time.”

Johnson caught four passes for 27 yards and scored the Als’ only touchdown, from rookie quarterback Matthew Shiltz, in last week’s exhibition game loss in Toronto. He also connected with Shiltz for a two-point convert.

Thursday night at Molson Stadium, he was scheduled to back up veteran Nik Lewis.

Johnson has used up his university eligibility, potentially putting him in a sink or swim scenario. But he also believes he’s ready to become a pro.

“At some point definitely I got a lot better in the last year. That’s what I’m happy for,” he said. “I’m still not satisfied. I think I can do a lot more and I can get a lot better. I look at the veterans — how they run their routes, how they communicate. I’m missing a whole bunch of that.”

But he believes he learned plenty as well and is prepared to make the jump.

“From coming here last year and ending up short. Just learning what it is to be a pro,” he explained. “It was really good. I learned a lot.”

Johnson eventually decided he had more of a future in football. Besides, playing two sports was too hard on his body, he explained. He believes he’s aware on the football field from his days on the basketball court.

“With the speed of the game, my awareness needs to go up,” he said. “I feel it’s still at the university level.”

The Als could well decide to retain Johnson on the practice roster when they announce their final cuts no later than midnight Saturday. …

Keen observers this season will notice the Als’ offence won’t huddle, the quarterback instead calling the play at the line of scrimmage.

Chapdelaine utilized a similar system in 2015, at Saskatchewan, when he was the offensive co-ordinator. He said the Roughriders’ offence averaged 76 plays that season until starting quarterback Kevin Glenn was injured. Glenn, of course, was filling in for the injured Darian Durant, now with Montreal.

Most teams average between 60 and 65 plays, Chapdelaine said.

“Players lose their focus at times when there’s a huddle. There can be conversations or discussions,” he explained. “When you don’t huddle the player’s mind goes right into what’s the next play. There’s a focus element that’s being enhanced. Obviously, communication becomes an important facet of this. Hence the signalling.

“We can throw a play out there quick and the quarterback can go ahead and communicate in sequence, maybe not so much structurally like in the huddle.”

The Als’ offence has sputtered badly the last two seasons and hope the presence of Durant will help rejuvenate the team.

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